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July 11, 2004
Children's Book Review: Spine-chilling occurrences
THIS very interesting novel for children leaves one wonder-struck as it has been written by a fifteen-year-old boy. One very befitting remark for the book is that “Christopher Paolini makes literary magic with his precocious debut”. The book that he has so skillfully written as a result of his abiding love for fantasy and science fiction is definitely going to catch the imagination of young readers. Grown ups too would find a welcome escape from the harsh mundane realities of life in this beautifully woven tale of magic, imagination and adventure.
The story line courses through the circuitous by-lanes of spine-chilling occurrences. Right from the outset, Eragon, the central character of this novel, seems to enthrall us and does not loosen his grip till the very last page. Eragon, who is fond of tracking game in the deep, craggy, mountain recesses, one day finds a rare, blue stone that is oval, smooth and frictionless. He wants to sell it to buy food for his family members but no one, not even the traders know its real worth.
One moonlit night, something incredibly strange happens. Unquestionably the greatest beauty of the novel lies in the creation of suspense after regular brief intervals that never fail to give a creepy feeling to the readers. As the stone cracks with strong tremors and a dragon emerges from it, the story takes a new turn. The stone turns out to be an egg which gives Eragon magic power. The teenage author constantly holds the reader under the magic spell of his pen. The reader shares the joy of friendship between Eragon and the dragon. Eragon makes a secret home for his friend in a thickly wooded area and names the female dragon, Saphira. She starts conversing with Eragon and becomes his friend.
The book is all about this friendship between two friends and their adventures. The author has a fine eye for detail. The scenic backdrops are vividly described and romance is kept alive by the author who gives a twist to the theme to introduce a new character and sustain the story. One factor that makes the novel an enjoyable read is the connection it makes with eerie beings like dragons and elves through the characters. It very convincingly points out that elves have a long life, they can use magic and are overly fond of the sea. There is a reason for this love for the sea. “The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it. The elves are inspired by the sea.”
The young readers are sure to be enraptured by the magic world of unimaginable fantasies and wild fancies that the novel unfolds for them. This is a world of dragons, where cats, elves, the alien and ferocious tribes live, and where friendship and hatred is carried to grotesque extremes. The novel is too voluminous for small children. A fair degree of patience and concentration is needed to bear with a host of extra-terrestrial characters and to follow the complicated chain of events. The novel is a great pioneering effort by a teenage writer, assuredly a landmark pointing to more such successful ventures in times to come.
Eragon
By Christopher Paolini
Alfred A. Knopf. Available with Liberty Books (Pvt) Ltd, 3 Rafiq Plaza, M.R. Kayani Road, Saddar, Karachi. Tel: 021-5683026
Email: libooks@cyber.net.pk Website: www.libertybooks.com
ISBN 0-375-82668-8
510pp. Rs900
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